Methanol, also known as methyl alcohol, wood alcohol, wood naphtha or wood spirits, is a simple alcohol, with the formula CH3OH, that is a light volatile flammable poisonous liquid alcohol. Methanol has extensive uses in the production of a range of chemicals including ethylene glycol, acetic acid, vinyl acetate. Methanol may also be used for producing biodiesel via trans-esterification reaction. Methanol is produced naturally in the anaerobic metabolism of many varieties of bacteria and is ubiquitous in the environment. Methanol is produced commercially by combining CO and CO2 with hydrogen in a catalytic reactor operating at pressures typically in the range 70 to 100 bar and temperatures in the range 250° C. to 300° C. Commonly used methods of producing the CO+H2 synthesis gas from natural gas include steam/hydrocarbon catalytic reforming (SMR), catalytic auto-thermal reforming (ATR), partial oxidation (POX), and combinations of the forgoing. A combination of the ATR and a convectively heated SMR is the basis of the well known Leading Concept Ammonia Process. The synthesis gas generation system is described in a paper “A Methanol Technology for the 20th Century” by R Kirkpatrick and T Fitzpatrick presented at the World Methanol Conference San Diego November 1999. In each case except POX, the synthesis gas from the optimum generation pressure is compressed to the higher pressure required by the methanol reactor system. POX can produce syngas at pressures in the range 70 to 100 bar but it is not an economic method in isolation since it produces synthesis gas at a very high temperature of 1300° C. to 1400° C. and there is a large specific oxygen requirement.